tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:23:09 +0000http://www.bigskycoalition.org/index_b.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)Blogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-7112109443276413975Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:17:00 +00002009-08-11T14:32:52.317-06:00Bioroot Energy is a new Montana business focused on developing a large scale waste to energy project in the Bitterroot valley to convert municipal solid waste and woody biomass into marketable energy products such as ethanol, methanol, hydrogen and electricity.http://www.biorootenergy.comhttp://www.bigskycoalition.org/2009/08/announcing-bioroot-energy.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-4980361529781315446Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:39:00 +00002009-04-02T07:40:40.473-06:00by JOHN CRAMER - Ravalli RepublicThe Bitterroot National Forest plans to use thinning and prescribed fire to reduce fuels and improve forest health, fisheries and soil stability on 5,100 acres in the lower West Fork.The forest is seeking public comment on the project’s draft environmental impact statement, which was released this week.The Lower West Fork project is designed to improve the forest’http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2009/04/forest-fuels-to-be-reduced-in-west-fork.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-357153659364482359Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:19:00 +00002009-03-18T11:21:52.365-06:00by PERRY BACKUS - Ravalli RepublicDARBY - There are thousands of acres of national forest overstocked with planted trees that the Bitterroot National Forest is hoping to start thinning someday soon.The agency is near to wrapping up a 30-day scoping and comment period on a proposal to initiate an environmental analysis for a forest-wide non-commercial thinning project on 7,550 acres of overstockedhttp://www.bigskycoalition.org/2009/03/forest-wants-to-analyze-thinning.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-4056191311008006605Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:20:00 +00002009-03-03T16:22:06.047-07:00By Michael Doyle | McClatchy NewspapersWASHINGTON — A closely divided Supreme Court on Tuesday limited environmentalists' ability to challenge Forest Service rules in a case that arose from a controversial Sequoia National Forest salvage logging project. Link to full article.http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2009/03/supreme-court-limits-challenges-to.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-3665977058341028824Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:32:00 +00002009-01-04T08:38:44.949-07:00By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian Montana's forests could play a part in putting America back to work, according to a group of timber and wilderness advocates.The U.S. Forest Service has about $100 million in “shovel-ready” forest restoration projects on the shelf that could put loggers, scientists, heavy-equipment operators and other timber-related workers on the payroll, members of the Montana http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2009/01/usfs-has-100-million-in-projects-ready.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-2721667909905136333Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:16:00 +00002008-11-06T22:18:02.117-07:00by PERRY BACKUS - Ravalli RepublicThe 2½-year long legal saga of Montana’s first Healthy Forest Restoration Act fuel reduction project may be over.A three-judge Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel affirmed Thursday a Missoula district court’s ruling that rejected a long list of legal claims challenging the Middle East Fork Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project on the Bitterroot National Forest from http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/11/ninth-circuit-rules-in-favor-of-forest.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-5857570624405903674Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:03:00 +00002008-10-14T14:13:50.588-06:00Log houses lagging: Some custom home businesses getting by while others hit hardLink to article.Stimson Lumber Co. prepares for auction at shuttered millLink to article. http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/10/signs-of-times-missoulian-coverage.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-8476131893652972302Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:51:00 +00002008-10-08T12:54:18.400-06:00Though the Gunbarrel fire is not yet extinguished - its eastern flank is still smoldering - forest managers are already sharing lessons from the big blaze, saying it will serve as a model for fighting wildland fires next summer.But the circumstances that allowed for successfully managing a fire that often raged with ferocious intensity across more than 68,000 acres didn't happen by chance. They http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/10/fire-officials-laud-gunbarrel-effort.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-1016405672178845246Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:34:00 +00002008-09-30T17:36:29.122-06:00The final environmental impact statement for the DeBaugan fuels reduction project has been released. The document is available on the Lolo National Forest website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/lolo/projects/.The project specifically addresses the need for fuel reduction work within the wildland urban interface near the communities of Saltese, Haugan, DeBorgia and Cabin City, approximately 80 miles http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/09/debaugan-fuels-reduction-project-final.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-6188760489661295791Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:20:00 +00002008-09-09T12:11:39.490-06:00Guest Editorial in MissoulianBy LOREN ROSE, FRANK MARADEO and SMOKE ELSEROne year ago, the Jocko Lakes fire blew up and burned to the edge of Seeley Lake. The fire, created by a lightning strike several days earlier, soon became the highest-priority fire in the nation, burning 36,388 acres and costing $30 million. Only courageous firefighting and a last-second weather change kept the fire from http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/08/project-creates-jobs-protects.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-6228059302837978770Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:47:00 +00002008-07-04T13:49:21.073-06:00http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/07/have-safe-holiday-weekend.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-762441707966331598Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:44:00 +00002008-06-24T12:39:25.379-06:00Why is the West burning? Our current drought, and 100 years of active fire suppression? A "let it burn" attitude from environmental organizations? Lawsuits?How about all of the above! Should we just let it all burn or should we take action?This organization believes decisive action is needed to reduce fuel loads in our overgrown forest. The natural burn cycle and the western landscape needs our http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/06/why-is-west-burning.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-5535951799283280953Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:18:00 +00002008-06-08T12:22:42.832-06:00Schweitzer suggests state of Montana take over management of some federal forests to reduce wildfire dangerGov. Brian Schweitzer says that creating healthier forests, possibly by having the state take over management of some federal timberland, is the best way to combat the infestation of bark beetles in the West.Sounds like a good idea to us.Link to AP article.http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/06/call-for-state-action-on-national.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-4791652104843998660Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:46:00 +00002008-06-03T17:17:46.979-06:00Ready to ring in the summer season? So are we!Join us for an evening of down home fun, with Floating Glass Balls, an eclectic bluegrass band from Oregon. The band will be traveling from a performance at the Weiser Fiddle Festival in Idaho and stopping here to put on a show for Bitterroot residents.Thursday, June 19Darby Clubhouse, Darby, MontanaDoors open 6 p.m.Show: 7 p.m.Tickets: $12 Advance | http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/06/benefit-concert-slated.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-7669417010771661490Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:31:00 +00002008-06-02T10:02:33.729-06:00The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources, and BiodiversityWhy should we act now to reduce fuel loads in our forest lands? Can we make a difference? We may not be able to stop global warming, but we can must take bold steps to manage our forests better before it is simply too late to do anything.This isn't the usual global warming fodder, with vague but dire http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/06/global-warming-chilling-report-from.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-8318096055166694152Wed, 21 May 2008 20:30:00 +00002008-05-21T14:36:14.023-06:00A brief article with a historical perspective on wildfires in the west. Here are a few paragraphs:"With wildfires burning, it is useful to turn to the wisdom of the ancients. When the pioneers first entered the great forests of America, they found that the Native Americans had managed the forests for centuries. Their woodlands contained very few big trees—maybe fifty such trees per acre.""In thehttp://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/05/treehuggers-against-trees.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-1651131870331304554Thu, 08 May 2008 17:52:00 +00002008-05-20T16:35:17.975-06:00open threadUpdated post: May 20Just what will happen to Tom Robak's beautiful dream log home on the West Fork of the Bitterroot River, just below the confluence with Nez Perce Creek? Will he have to tear it down before it's even finished or will he prevail in court? All we can say is stay tuned.What does this have to do with forest management? Not much other than Tom Robak is the founder of Big Sky http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/05/solution-thread.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-3384279924652302493Thu, 01 May 2008 19:37:00 +00002008-05-01T13:40:08.925-06:00soap operanewsBy: Independent Staff Posted: 05/01/2008 "State Sen. Rick Laible (R-Darby) used his position as chair of the state’s Fire Suppression Interim Committee to pimp his personal agenda April 28—failing to mention a significant conflict of interest until being publicly shamed by a local watchdog." Link to full article and comments.http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/05/missoula-independent-calls-foul-on-bsc.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-814858678306538139Thu, 01 May 2008 14:13:00 +00002008-05-01T14:41:17.239-06:00public meetingKalispellBig Sky Coalition Public Rally: Kalispell, May 18Flathead County Fairgrounds2:00-2:10 Welcome: Flathead Business and Industry Association and Big Sky Coalition2:10-3:00 Jack Ward Thomas: "The Risks of Doing Nothing to manage Our Forests"3:05-3:40 Dr. Mark Jergens: "The Health Effects of Breathing Wood Smoke"3:45-4:15 Wally Bennett: "Fuels and Fire, the Chippy Creek Fire, a Case Study"4http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/05/healthy-communities-and-forests.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-3730757899149292550Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:29:00 +00002008-05-01T16:38:36.388-06:00State fire panel discusses solutions in HamiltonBy JOHN CRAMER of the MissoulianHAMILTON - Montana's Fire Suppression Interim Committee kicked off its statewide road tour Monday at ground zero in the West's growing dilemma on how to reduce large-scale wildfires at a time when more people are building homes in fire-prone forests.The Bitterroot National Forest, which the U.S. Forest Service http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/04/news-about-fire-suppression-meeting.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-8241161702298269378Sat, 26 Apr 2008 20:33:00 +00002008-04-26T14:38:55.810-06:00lettersLetter to the EditorRepost from The MissoulianA column on the Missoulian Opinion page of April 17 states, “The corn ethanol craze, encouraged by state and federal policies needs to be reined in ... Otherwise it will continue to drive up food prices.”While the use of ethanol as a component of motor fuels helps achieve renewable energy objectives, perhaps an alternate source of ethanol should be http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/04/alternative-sources-may-be-possible.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-3371604635640375060Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:41:00 +00002008-04-25T09:25:42.619-06:00It's an easy, yet valuable, way to support our efforts: When you are ready to buy something online, check our Amazon Affiliates store. Simply type in the item you want to shop for (today I bought a coffeemaker) and choose a section of the store (I chose Home and Garden), then hit the Go button and check out the great selection to choose from. Click on any item to read reviews, or get more http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/04/support-bsc-through-our-amazon-store.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-1802376705023254215Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:08:00 +00002008-04-23T10:16:57.058-06:00By JOHN CRAMER of the MissoulianHAMILTON - The mountain pine beetle gets most of the blame for killing vast swaths of evergreens across the West.But there's another tree-munching insect that's causing trouble in the Bitterroot Valley by taking advantage of the growing number of new residents who mistakenly thin their pine stands in the spring.Link to full Missoulian article.http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/04/beetles-feast-on-trees-in-bitterroot.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-445630622707290441Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:43:00 +00002008-04-22T08:33:43.390-06:00For immediate releaseContact: Sen. Rick Laible, Meeting Chairman, 406-821-0990Leanne Heisel, Legislative Research Analyst, 406-444-3593A legislative committee will meet in Hamilton April 28-29 to discuss issues surrounding the state's wildfire suppression efforts. The public is invited to attend and will have an opportunity to comment.The Fire Suppression Interim Committee will meet beginning at http://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/04/lawmakers-bringing-fire-suppression.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2407249496879820907.post-5130577533755006799Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:13:00 +00002008-04-21T06:16:21.628-06:00By PERRY BACKUS of the Ravalli RepublicDARBY - Chuck Oliver doesn't have to look far to be reminded why many in Darby hope the U.S. Forest Service will start thinning national forest lands around town soon.From the front window of his district ranger's office, Oliver can see the trees blackened by last summer's Tin Cup fire.Some sound firefighting, a few strategic breaks in the thick timber and ahttp://www.bigskycoalition.org/2008/04/three-bitterroot-thinning-projects.htmljay.toups@gmail.com (Jay)0